Dice, Camera, Action!: Better the Devil You Know
by Wramysis
Summary: The Crew thought their troubles were over after Strahd's latest defeat, but they couldn't have been more wrong. Once again Strix is the only one to escape, but this time she's planning to break into Castle Ravenloft with the help of some old allies, and destroy the vampire's legacy once and for all.


A.N.: This spooky little fic was originally written for Halloween, and takes place immediately after the events of episode 115.

* * *

Evelyn gripped Strix's arm as the _word of recall_ spell took hold and the world around them blurred. In the space of half a heartbeat, they found themselves back at their mansion, standing in the dark of Strix's panic room. A flash of lightning through an unshuttered window briefly illuminated the room, followed soon after by a boom of thunder that rattled the walls.

"One second," the sorceror said a little shakily, and suddenly the green light of her lantern flared up around them, casting long shadows against the carpeted floor.

As a servant of the Morninglord, Evelyn was gifted with the sense of always knowing exactly what time it was. She yawned despite the excitement of their recent battle against Strahd. "It's pretty late. We should probably let the kids keep staying over at the neighbors for the rest of the night; assuming they've managed to fall asleep with all this ruckus going on."

Diath hurried over to the window and peered through it. "There's a thick fog rolling into the streets as well. I agree with Evelyn, let's stay put for now."

"I'll be downstairs celebrating our victory," called out Paultin, already halfway out the door. They could soon after hear the clink of glasses as he set up the bar, probably ignoring the help of the newly resummoned unseen servants. Ever since the spectral beings had briefly turned on their masters, Paultin refused to let any of them prepare his drinks.

To Evelyn's surprise, soon after there came the sounds of bolts being hurriedly unlocked and chains unfastened from the front door. She exchanged concerned looks with Diath and Strix, and the three of them raced downstairs.

Paultin must have taken the time to light the fireplace and several candelabras using his Sunsword, for the room had a warm, welcoming glow. In stark contrast, a cold damp breeze blew in from their open front door, which stood agape into the darkness of the street, from which wisps of fog were already creeping into the foyer.

There was no sign of the bard.

"Paultin?" Strix called out timidly, clutching her magical item - now in the shape of a staff - with both hands.

"Damnit," cursed Diath suddenly, whirling to face them. "Did either of you check Paultin's shadow after we defeated Strahd? Did it look normal?"

Evelyn shook her head slowly while Strix froze in panic, gritting her fangs and making soft moans of distress. Diath sighed and walked over to the open doorway, warily peering outside. "I don't see him, but there's something wrong with this fog. There's a dark hole in it, like a passage of some kind."

Evelyn lifted out the Heart of Spinelli from the sheathe she had cleverly disguised against the back of her dress. A righteous anger began to simmer inside her at the thought of Strahd escaping them once again, and worse yet, putting her friends in danger. She sent a mental prayer to Lathander for guidance and felt heat brush against her skin as the sword caught fire.

Something on their doorstep, partially hidden by the mist, glinted against the light of her flame. Diath picked it up, revealing the hilt of the Sunsword. He raised an eyebrow at the rest of them.

"Paultin wouldn't have-" began Evelyn, but that wasn't exactly true. Paultin had given up the Sunsword once before, when the Ring of Winter had controlled him. It was never clear whether a part of Paultin had purposefully left it with his friends in the hopes that they might use the weapon to help defeat him and undo his possession, or whether the evil of the Ring simply couldn't stand to have such an object of goodness around. Either reason was bad enough, and if Paultin was again in that kind of a situation, then they were all in trouble.

She reflexively braced herself as she heard Diath cry out in pain and drop the hilt, causing it to clang against the pavement. His eyes were open wide in surprise, and she noted that a ray of moonlight had pierced the clouds and fog and fallen upon them. In that pale light, she could see a red glow begin to form within his eyes, and his face began to bulge unnaturally.

"Diath!" cried Strix, overcoming her terror to come to her friend's aid. But after one look at the fur and whiskers beginning to sprout from his skin, she yelped and grasped Evelyn's arms, tugging her frantically back into the mansion.

"We have to get inside! We have to get safe!" she shouted in a mixture of screams and sobs. Evelyn turned back to look at her with a frown, clearing not pleased at the thought of not intervening.

"_This is what happened to you before in Barovia_, Evelyn! We can't do anything now, it's already started! _Pleeeeease listen to me!"_ she begged, and the paladin finally relented and joined her back inside. Strix immediately shut the door on Diath and began refastening all the bolts and chains. A second later, a powerful force slammed against the wood, trying to force it open. This was followed soon after by the terrifying clicks of long nails skittering against the wood, as if searching for weaknesses to try and pry the boards apart.

"He must have gotten scratched during that battle with the were-rats," sobbed Strix, clumsily wiping the tears from her eyes. "We were all so focused on Strahd, we didn't stop to check if everyone was all right."

Evelyn felt a pang of guilt at that comment, though she knew that Strix hadn't really been directing it at her. Strahd had been the main threat, and though the vampire had called on his minions to act as a distraction and allow him to escape, Evelyn had continued to battle him until he was utterly destroyed. She had trusted Diath and the masked woman, who had turned out to be Lady Rosznar, to be able to take care of smaller threats like the were-rats. Lady Rosznar had not hesitated to ask for healing from Evelyn immediately, but it would have been just like Diath to stoically put his own needs after those of the group.

The noises suddenly stopped. Evelyn and Strix looked at each other worriedly.

_"Do you sense anything evil still outside?"_ Strix whispered.

Evelyn was about to answer that all were-creatures were _not_ automatically evil, which was an argument she had made many times in the past, when she realized that there were two traces of fiendish energy nearby. One source was outside, moving slowly away from the mansion before suddenly vanishing from her perception.

The other was ..._coming directly from Strix!_

Evelyn pointed her flaming greatsword at Strix, but could not bring herself to attack. The tiefling stared at her in fear.

"What's wrong, Eveylyn?" the tiefling asked, but there was something wrong with her voice. Her form began to change, becoming more hunched as her fingers lengthened into claws. _"Evelyn?"_ the creature repeated in what sounded like an old crone's screech.

"No," Evelyn said, shaking her head in refusal of all of the evil that had transpired that night. She dropped the sword and reached out with her hands to grip Strix's shoulders, ignoring the grime and unnatural feel of her friend's wrinkled skin. Although she spoke the words for _lay on hands_, her thoughts were directed at her bond with Lathander, trying to focus its beam of hope and purity into her friend. In that holy light, it was as if Evelyn could see directly into Strix's soul, and she saw the stain of evil where a small, grub-like creature had invaded it.

"The light of Lathander _compels you!_" she commanded, focusing her god's power to incinerate the creature. But the soul worm seemed to resist the effect, and its human-like face mocked her.

_"You cannot touch me, for I was placed here of her own free will."_

"Strix would never agree to that!" Evelyn cried angrily. However, a small part of her remembered that Strix did not always understand the full consequences of her actions, and that this fiendish creature could very well be the result of one of her experiments gone wrong.

_"The hags placed me here to protect her from the Soulmonger, fulfilling their end of the contract. I have now grown strong enough to exert my dominion over this body,"_ said the evil soul, just as Strix's clawed hands reached out to grab Evelyn's wrists and throw her aside with surprising strength.

Evelyn climbed back to her feet and once again reached for her sword, its flames licking down the length of the blade. But again, she found herself unwilling to attack Strix. What could she do? The light of her sword was reflected in the creature's wide blackened pupils as it watched her warily.

_"Perhaps a new bargain can be struck?"_ it suggested.

"I don't make bargains with devils!" she snarled, but at the same time, Evelyn realized that they were at an impasse. If Lathander's light couldn't protect Strix, then she needed to find another way.

Strix's strange eyes seemed drawn to something outside, beyond the doorway._ "I feel the Dark Powers calling to me_," she cackled softly, wringing her long fingers. _"But maybe I can offer them a better prize. Would you agree to taking this one's place?"_

Evelyn hesitated. To let such a vile foulness inside her went against every church teaching she knew. Normally Lathander's light protected souls from corruption, but this fiend had already shown that special contracts could circumvent it. What would happen to her bond with Lathander if she agreed to be taken over? And yet, knowing her duty to protect her friends, how could she still call herself a paladin if she didn't sacrifice herself for others?

"Alright," she said with trepidation, extinguishing the sword. "You have a deal."

* * *

Strix found herself on the floor of their manor as she awakened to sunlight streaming down from the open doorway. She looked around wildly, realizing that her friends were nowhere in sight. On the threshold of the door she found the discarded hilt of Paultin's sword. As she picked it up, she had a sudden flash of memory of Diath bathed in moonlight, transforming into a were-rat.

"It was a dream," she said aloud, squeezing her eyes shut as she shook her head to clear it of scary thoughts. Certainly the warm sunlight shining around her made the memory of that dark, foggy night seem like an illusion. But as she opened her eyes and was faced with the reality of her situation, she began to panic.

_Strahd is back. He has Paultin. Diath is a monster. Evelyn is missing. I am alone again. I am alone in this huge city and my friends aren't here to protect me. The people here hate me and will be coming after me. I need to hide. I need to run_ NOW!

"Hey Auntie Strix!" she heard a voice call out from across the street. She turned around to see the three street urchins her group was temporarily caring for be ushered out the door by their druid neighbor, who seemed happy to be free of them. Waffles followed shortly after, with Simon riding expertly on her back.

_"Kids!"_ she screamed in alarm, having completely forgotten about them. At the same time, she saw the three apprentice bakers she had recently hired appear from down the street. They nodded to her amiably as they passed, telling her they would get things started in the kitchen.

This familiar routine restored to Strix a small measure of calm. Even the sound of Warrington calling from upstairs for some pancakes, which her cooks cheerily acknowledged, helped root her back to reality.

"Ok, everything's okay," she said steadily, taking a deep breath. "I'm not alone. I still have friends. And _I know magic!_" She ran inside and grabbed the witch's hat Viari had given her. She then took out a piece of stationary from Evelyn's desk and the quill beside it and began scribbling a note to Omin. As an afterthought, she took the small bottle of perfume Evelyn liked to use and sprayed a little on the parchment. _Maybe that would make Omin read it faster!_ Strix then jammed the note inside the hat and sat on the stool, waiting.

Suddenly there came a knock at the door, and Strix raced back downstairs before anyone else had a chance to answer. As she swung it open, she was relieved to see Omin standing there.

"Hello Strix, mind if I come in?" he asked, already walking inside. "Your note said it was urgent."

Strix nodded at him gratefully. "Thank you so much for coming Omin! It was horrible - _everyone is gone and I don't know where they went, but I'm sure it's because of Strahd, or maybe that ghost did something, or that Lady Rosznar_-"

"Hold on, let's start from the beginning. You say the Rosznars are involved in this?"

Strix scratched her head, still fuzzy regarding the details. "I don't know; one minute Diath is talking about finding Strahd's doll in her attic, and then he says she wants to find the Stone of Golorr but she needed a drow hand and an eyestalk, and I gave her those things _even though she wouldn't tell us what it was for! _And then she asked us to help her break into some fancy party that Evelyn wanted us to dress up for-"

"Where is Evelyn?" Omin asked, glancing around the manor. He took Strix's note from one of his pockets and began sniffing at it.

_"That's what I'm trying to tell you!"_ Strix cried. "We went to that party and this ghost lady got upset _and we killed Strahd!_ But then Lady Rosznar snuck off saying she had the last key, and when we came home, then-"

Omin's eyes widened and he hastily put the letter away. "The Rosznars are after the dragon hoard. That's more money than all the Waterdeep nobles' fortunes combined."

"I guess so?" Strix agreed, wanting to get back to her story._ "So anyways-"_

Omin put a hand on her shoulder apologetically. "I'm sorry, Strix, but duty calls. I promise I'll help you find your group later. In the meantime, um-" He rifled again through his pockets and handed her an ancient-looking scroll. "Here's something I'd like you to give Diath as a peace offering. I'm sorry, _I really have to go!"_ And with that, Omin poofed away, probably with the help of one of his magic-user friends.

Strix cast a disgruntled look at where he had stood moments before. "Gee, thanks," she muttered, then looked down at the rolled up parchment he had given her. _A gift for Diath?_ But as she unrolled it, she realized what it was. This was the Skizziks contract, the ancient bargain Asmodeus had made that allowed anyone to summon the greatest member of the Skizziks family! Thanks to her new adoptive grandmother, Rosie Beestinger, that contract would never work on Strix again. Maybe that was why Omin decided not to keep it any more? Yet who would the contract work on now, if not Strix?

She frowned as the answer came to her._ Izek._ Lady Wachter had told Strix "a deal was wrought to make you", and while her meaning had never been explained, the devil-worshiping paraphernalia in her house, as well as her interest in both Strix and her brother, hinted that there was something special about the two of them. Strix had been surprised when breaking her ties with the Skizziks family hadn't seemed to do anything to her magic or her devilish features. There must be more behind her powers than she knew, just as Izek himself must be hiding something. He had told Strix to seek answers from Fiona Wachter. Maybe _now_ was the time.

Strix unfurled the scroll and read the incantation aloud.

* * *

Standing upon the cliff, Strix peered up at Castle Ravenloft against the ever-overcast sky. The cold mist rising up from the nearby waterfall created dewdrops along the brim of her hat.

"It was here, in that other Barovia, that Strahd threw me down to fall into the rapids far below us," said the old wizard beside her, leaning on his staff as he peered down over the edge. "I lost so many memories that day. But the sight of his gloating triumphant face - _that,_ I shall never forget. I will continue to topple him from his throne in all the realms that devil ever escapes to."

The burly woman sitting on a boulder next to them, sharpening the edge of her axe, laughed merrily. "Aye, that devil is a tricky one at that. van Richten could tell you some stories, he could, and I've heard only a handful of 'em and I'm still impressed."

They all looked up as a raven dove towards the group, at the last second turning into a man and landing lightly on his feet. The wizard hurriedly handed him a cloak to hide his nakedness, which he accepted gratefully. "There's the usual handful of guards at the top of the bridge, but I didn't see any bolstering of their defenses," Falkon reported. "If Strahd is aware of us, he doesn't seem very concerned."

Their gazes turned toward Strix for confirmation that their plan was to proceed, and she nodded in determination. Their friends were up there somewhere, being tormented by Strahd and whatever evil the Sewn Sisters' soul worms had bound them into. When she had summoned Izek, he explained that Madam Eva's vision ordering him to bring Mr. Shambleface out of Gauntlgrym had been a ploy by the Dark Powers to free their favorite servant. The shadar-kai, also slaves to the Powers' will, had then delivered the effigy to Waterdeep, where they knew Strahd would be freed and able to take his revenge. When Strahd was unexpectedly vanquished, his Domain became merged with that of Barovia's alternate timeline, undoing the deaths of allies such as Falkon and Ilyana, but at the same time granting the surviving Strahd full use of his vampiric powers, despite his centuries of restraint in the presence of Tatyana and Sergei's descendants.

"We leave now, while it's still daytime," Strix told them, hiding the doubts and insecurities that still plagued her. _Be a strong leader, like Diath,_ she told herself. It had become easier dealing with her fear ever since the Skizziks name had been stripped from her, and even more so after her soul worm was removed. Strix hadn't realized the sacrifice Evelyn had made by taking it into herself, but van Richten had revealed much to them that he had seen in his prophetic dreams. As the old priest was still recovering from injuries, he had sent Dee to help in his place. The strongwoman had been all too happy to oblige.

The four of them climbed the old paved road leading up the the castle. Before coming in sight of the watchtowers, Mordenkainen cast _greater invisibility_ on all of them, then _dimension door_ed them in turns beyond the walls. Following a pre-arranged plan based on the castle layout Falkon had scouted, the group proceeded in silence to the crypts beneath the castle.

The place was eerily quiet, a change from what Strix remembered when squeaking and rustling bats had all but covered the ceiling. As the only one with dark-vision, Strix carefully led the group, who followed in single file behind her. Strix tried to go slowly, but someone tripped on a broken edge of tile and yelped in surprise.

_"Bah, this is stupid,"_ muttered Murdy Kerdy, and he cast an incantation that lit up the entire chamber. To Strix's surprise, there were suddenly hundreds of squirming vermin crawling on the ground in front of them, the glow of the wizard's light reflecting in their beady eyes. The creatures formed a barrier between them and the passage ahead, where a larger shadowy figure stood watching.

"That's your cue, girl!" shouted the wizard, and Dee came up gleefully from behind and tapped the magical staff he had given her. The pole suddenly lengthened ten feet, which the strongwoman used to sweep aside the mass of rats, forming an empty space for the group to run across. They wasted no time in doing so.

The shadow up ahead leaped towards Strix with surprising speed, pinning her to the ground with its four limbs and heavy tail. It was the largest rat the trash witch had ever seen, and she watched in horror as it opened its slavering jaws over her.

In an instant, Falkon had the creature in a choke hold, pulling it backwards off of Strix. _"Get away from that thing!"_ he shouted as the beast tried to squirm out of his grip. "Its claws and bite are _cursed!"_

The rat creature's form seemed to shift, becoming more humanoid. It licked its lips and called out to her, _"What's the matter, Strix? I thought you liked rats."_

Her heart sank at the realization of who this must be. She had known _he_ would be here, guarding Strahd. Murdy had warned Strix that her magic could not defy the will of the vampire lord within his own castle, where his powers were strongest. But to leave Diath in this state-

"Don't be daft, girl, _we don't have the time!"_ shouted the wizard, already racing up the corridor ahead.

"Go, it's curse can't affect _me!_" Falkon reminded her, readjusting his grip with effort. Strix nodded to him and hurriedly rejoined the others, leading them towards what she remembered was a possible sanctuary.

They entered a small side chamber lit by several candles that someone had left burning at the foot of a saint's statue. The sight of them renewed a sense of hope in Strix.

"Saint Markovia," said Dee in awe, reading the statue's inscription. "I've heard o' her, I 'ave. Ol' Richten said she was mighty powerful in 'er day."

Strix remembered how her ashes had cleansed Diath of the dark gift's curse, and how Saint Markovia had somehow appeared to Evelyn and empowered her axe, Lightfall. _Could those ashes still help her now?_ Strix saw that the lid of the tomb was closed shut, and motioned towards Dee to try to lift it free. The burly woman looked shocked for a moment, but slowly nodded and braced herself against the wall as she shoved the stone lid aside. Quickly peering into the opening, Dee gasped and scrambled backwards.

Strix's heart sank in her chest as she heard a familiar voice from inside the sarcophagus. _"Did you really have to wake me at this dreadful hour? I do declare, people can be so rude!"_ Evelyn sat up from the stone coffin and glared down at them. Her skin was now deathly pale, contrasting sharply with the obsidian black armor that covered her body. A black disk with a purple rim decorated the center of her breastplate, which seemed to pulse with malevolent light.

To everyone's surprise, the dark paladin suddenly squealed in delight and rushed toward Dee, squeezing her in a tight hug. _"Dee!_ It's been so long! I'm so glad Paultin didn't kill you! We were worried but you know, it's kind of hard to bring you up in conversation without Paultin getting _all moody_ because he doesn't like to talk about _his past_ and all that, but _oh my goddess Shar,_ how _are_ you?"

Dee looked very uncomfortable, but kept the conversation going while her free hand reached behind her to try to get at her bag of holy symbols. "Oy, ya know. I've been keeping busy." She met Strix's eyes and motioned for her and Murdy to escape while Evelyn was distracted. Strix grabbed the wizard's arm and hurriedly led him deeper into the crypts, where she remembered that a stairway leading to Strahd's tower was hidden. They climbed up the winding staircase until it ended at a concealed door. Leaning her weight against it, Strix heard a click and felt it slide away, revealing a torch-lit corridor.

"This is where we split up," Murdy told her. "Remember, I go for the _Heart of Sorrow_ and Strahd himself. You free your Vistani friend of his connection to the vampire, and we'll all be home in time for four o'clock buttermilk."

Strix nodded unhappily, hating being left on her own again, _though what choice did they have?_ They each ran down separate hallways, and Strix had to hope that Paultin was indeed in that direction. It wasn't long before she heard the sound of organ music, and though her every instinct told her to hide, she grit her teeth and forced her feet to move towards it.

The corridor ended in the dining parlor she remembered from their failed assassination attempt against Strahd, in what seemed like a lifetime ago. In the shadows at the end of the room loomed a massive organ, its features once decorated with angels and flowers, but now defaced with the skulls of monsters and devils. The musician faced away from her, but the tall frame matched Paultin's.

The music stopped the moment she stepped into the room. Without turning, Paultin greeted her. "Hello, Strix."

"Paultin," she began, relieved that she had actually found him. Her hand reached into her robes for the hilt of the Sunsword. She had never realized before that the weapon was sentient, but as she gripped the pommel, she could feel its hatred of all evil things, particularly Strahd himself.

"I see you brought along my sword," he noted. "The boss won't like it."

"It's not _your_ sword," Strix challenged him. "Madam Eva saw it in _my_ card reading, remember?"

"But I'm the one who took it," Paultin said, still keeping his face hidden. "None of the rest of you wanted the responsibility. And then when you failed to kill him, his spirit reached out to me, and I had to deal with the consequences. And when you failed to fully kill him again, guess who the Dark Powers reached out to? _But it's fine, I realize now there's no point fighting it any more_. This is my fate. The Raven Queen showed me."

"Paultin-" Strix began, hoping to talk some sense into him, but the words died in her throat as Paultin's head rotated completely around to face her. His skin was painted in the same creepy marks that Simon had once worn. His eyes pulsed red in deep sockets, and while his mouth could obviously speak, the rest of his features were wooden.

"What do you think, Strix? _I feel so much closer to my son, now_. And while I can't shoot out of my mouth-" Paultin's hand suddenly folded into itself, revealing the barrel of a weapon much like the smokepowder rifles Warrington had described, "-I do have some tricks up my sleeve. _Hehe, get it? My sleeve?_ I tell jokes now, too. The boss has me practicing."

Strix was numb with horror. "Paultin, what did you do to yourself?"

The bard's head spun back around as he stood up from the bench and presented himself to her proudly. "Evelyn suggested it. She told me how much better it was to be a construct; to not have to deal with feelings. Look!" He reached for a panel along his ribcage and pried it open, revealing nothing but gears and mechanical devices inside his chest. "No heart! Oh, and let me show you a trick; the boss loves it when I do this."

Grabbing a bottle of wine, Paultin raised it to his mechanical mouth and let it empty into him. Strix watched through the opening in Paultin's chest as the liquid poured all over the machinery and dripped onto the carpet.

She had seen enough. Strix took a deep breath and activated the blade of her sword. The beam of sunlight lit up the room, boosting her confidence. _"I have to end this, Paultin,"_ she said, struggling to keep her voice steady as she searched the ground for Paultin's shadow. "I have to break your link with Strahd, or he'll just keep coming back."

"Oh, he doesn't need me for _that_ any more. He already has my body. He wanted to look younger, you see. And it's not like _I_ still needed it. Plus it gives him this cool protection against Vistani magic. _Like that doll,_ _for instance_."

Strix froze in horror. Mr. Shambleface was supposed to be their secret weapon. She had filled it with the ashes of the first Strahd they had killed, and patched it up again using fabric from Death's cloak that she had ripped off in the Shadowfell. van Richten had said told them that it would work, and Murdy was planning to use it to seal Strahd forever.

_Murdy!_

Strix turned on her heels and bolted out of the parlor. She could hear an explosion as Paultin fired his weapon, which splintered the doorpost just as she passed it. Not looking back, she kept running, praying she remembered where Strahd's room was. Had Murdy had time to destroy the _Heart of Sorrow?_ Was he already facing Strahd now, using a weapon that was doomed to fail? She ran through the castle blindly, until she thought to use the Sunsword itself as a guide. Focusing her thoughts on Strahd, the blade seemed to tug her towards certain directions at each intersection. She found herself climbing several flights of stairs and tiptoeing past guards, until finally she stood at the entrance of a grand ballroom.

There, straddling his throne lazily with one hand holding a glass of red liquid, was Paultin. But Strix knew better.

"So, _the one who got away_ returns at last," the vampire greeted her, though it spoke in Paultin's voice. "Have you come to free your friends?"

Strix stared at the ground, knowing that meeting his gaze put her at risk of becoming charmed. "They won't be free until I end this," Strix said, finding her resolve. "Until I end _you._"

The vampire smiled. "Do you know that I was almost forced to kill my brother and my love to complete a bargain with the Dark Powers of this land? But then they showed me another way - kill the heroes who would overthrow you, the beacons of light and hope for your traitorous ungrateful subjects, and you will receive our gift of immortality. And so I did, and my loved ones were spared. But I was never as strong as I could have been...as I _should have been!_...because one of you four managed to escape me."

"I won't run again," Strix promised, as much to Strahd as to herself and the friends who depended on her.

"Well that certainly makes my work easier," he nodded, then with a flick of his wrist, the door behind her slammed shut. From the shadowy corners of the room emerged three figures, and Strix recognized the monstrous forms her friends had been turned into. There was no sign of Dee, Falkon or Murdy, and Strix feared the worst had befallen them.

_"Join us_,_ Strix,"_ called out Diath, looking almost like his old self except for the longer and scruffier hair. But then he snarled and revealed his unusually long teeth, and Strix backed away in fear.

"I'm sure we could find a nice doll for you to live in," Paultin grinned, which looked even creepier with the skull-like markings upon his face. _"You still like dolls, don't you?"_

Evelyn hefted her axe, which Strix was dismayed to recognize as Dee's. She tried not to stare at the blood dripping down the paladin's chin. "It doesn't really matter what we do as long as we kill her, right? So Lord Strahd can get stronger?"

The three of them advanced on her, and Strix gripped her staff and summoned the biggest fireball she could muster. The entire room suddenly burst into flame, and her friends screamed as their bodies caught fire. She avoided looking at them, knowing that she had to stay focused on her mission if any of them were going to survive. Strahd had vanished the moment her spell was cast, but she knew he couldn't have gone far. She shrunk her staff back into the shape of a quill and took out the Sunsword. It pointed her hand right back at the throne, and she realized that the vampire had merely turned itself invisible. She ran up to the lavish chair and raised the hilt in the air. She had no idea how to use a sword, but the weapon was able to guide her movements, swinging the blade of light unerringly downwards. At the last second, Strahd reappeared and blocked her thrust with his own sword, hissing at her in anger.

_"Out of the way, girl!"_ shouted a familiar voice, and suddenly an enormous blade of blazing blue energy burst out from the back of Strahd's throne, piercing him through the chest. Strahd's eyes widened in shock, but just as suddenly, he let go of his weapon and began laughing hysterically.

"Yes, _finally,_ end it! I have waited centuries for someone to take my place!"

"Careful there," said Mordenkainen, stepping out from behind the curtains. He looked down at the sword still pulsing in Strix's hands and commented, "_That_ wasn't part of the plan."

She shrugged helplessly. "The doll won't work. Strahd took over Paultin's body so that Vistani magic can't touch him. I was hoping that killing him with the Sunsword might still do something, but-"

"Better not to risk it," the wizard said, nodding at the vampire. "He's right, there's no telling what the Dark Powers will do once you kill their favorite toy. They might try to possess you next, or your friends - their souls are certainly dark enough now."

Strix sniffled as the wall of confidence she had try to build up around herself began to crumble. "I wish...I wish there was a way to undo all of this!"

The tiefling felt a pressure build in her ears as a vortex began to form beside them, drawing air and light from the space around it. A dainty figure suddenly stepped out from its center, wearing a long green gown with a crown of razorvines on its head.

"You!" Strix growled, backing away from it. "What are _you_ doing here?"

The fox-like creature adjusted its spectacles as it cast a disdainful eye down at her. "Tsk, such poor manners. I had come to offer my services, but I am of a mind now to take my business where it is better appreciated."

"Shemeshka, I presume," Mordenkainen said gravely, also backing up a pace. "You have no business in this realm. What are you plotting?"

The arcanoloth sniffed. "My business is my own, though it is no news that I have some vested interest in that _boy_ over there," she said, pointing her cigarette holder at Diath, who was singed but still clearly alive, warily keeping his distance. Strix was relieved to see that Evelyn and Paultin were also still standing, though it did complicate matters.

"I would prefer to see him restored. His value is greatly diminished in his current state."

"It's your fault this happened!" screeched Strix, waving the Sunsword at her. "You and those evil soul worms that were supposed to help us!"

"Hmmm," purred the creature, pursing its canine lips. "I suppose I could tear up the contract you made with the Sewn Sisters, which should cause those worms to disappear. But that still leaves you with the problem of how to free your friends from their curses. Only the Lord of this Domain could do such a thing."

Mordenkainen frowned at the fiend. "I see your plan, now. _You_ want to take over this realm."

"What!?" Strix yelped, almost dropping the sword. She fearfully turned to the wizard and whispered, "Wouldn't that make her even more dangerous than before?"

Shemeshka laughed, having clearly overheard her. _"Better the devil you know_, am I right? Who else do you suggest have this power? Your mentally unstable wizard friend there? _You?_ Are you so sure neither of you will be corrupted by the Dark Gifts? Whereas I can assure you, I am more than capable of taking care of myself."

"This will cause an imbalance of power in the planes," Mordenkainen warned.

The arcanaloth grinned. "Not if I leave Sigil. My agents there will continue to collect information for me of course, but I'm sure I will find plenty of things to occupy my time here._ The secrets of the Amber Temple alone_..." she smacked her lips in anticipation. "So, allow me to finish off the vampire, and I will remove the soul worms and any evil afflicting your friends."

The wizard crossed his arms and frowned. "I'm sure no good will come of this, but it's up to you, girl. Though I don't exactly see us as having much of a choice."

Strix looked down at the Sunsword, its hilt still trying to drag her hand towards Strahd. The vampire merely watched them now, his body still pinned to the chair by Murdy's strange blue blade. Resignation was in his eyes, a feeling Strix shared. Diath would be extremely upset if she made a deal with the arcanoloth, and might never forgive her. But if it could undo all of the horrible things that had happened to them since the night they had fought Strahd, then surely it was worth it.

Strix nodded at the fiend, and everything suddenly went black.

* * *

Once again, Strix awakened to a beam of sunlight falling across her face. At first she didn't think twice about it, but then she realized that she hadn't felt the sun in weeks, and she bolted upright in surprise.

"Augh!"

Diath rolled over on the ground next to her, her scream half-waking him from sleep. "Wh-what? Strix, you okay?"

She made a screech of joy as she reached over and hugged him, then again as she saw Evelyn and Paultin also beginning to stir on the floor of their mansion. Everyone was back in their normal clothes, no one looked cursed, and they were clearly no longer in Barovia. The hilt of the Sunsword was tucked into her robes, but she quickly handed it back to Paultin, happy to be rid of it.

She felt around her robes for whatever else was might be there, quickly confirming that she still had the key Diath had entrusted to her. But she realized that two objects were now missing: Shemeshka's spellbook and Mr. Fox's spectacles. _I'm sure that's fine,_ she told herself, though she didn't for one second believe it.

"Guys, I just had the weirdest dream about Strahd," Paultin said, shaking his head. "We _did_ kill him back at that party last night, _didn't we?"_

"That's so odd," Evelyn remarked. "I had the nicest dream about Dee. And Murdy Kerdy! And... Shemeshka?"

Diath immediately grabbed at his keyring, quickly counting how many were there. Strix panicked, knowing his next question would be for her, asking what she remembered. But to her surprise, Diath rose to his feet and called them to attention.

"Esvele has the last key she needs to open the Vault. I promised that treasure to the dwarves. We have to get there before she does!"

Strix made a loud sigh of relief and almost collapsed to the floor. Diath looked over at her in concern. "You okay, Strix?"

"Oh yeah, _haha_, never better!" she said happily. She would tell them about Shemeshka another time, when things weren't so hectic. It wasn't like there was anything they could do about it now, anyways. And besides, everyone else in her group always seemed to be keeping secrets.

_She might as well have one of her own._


End file.
